Winter Garden

[a Novel]

From the author of the smash-hit bestseller Firefly Lane and True Colors comes a powerful, heartbreaking novel that illuminates the intricate mother-daughter bond and explores the enduring links between the present and the past

Meredith and Nina Whitson are as different as sisters can be. One stayed at home to raise her children and manage the family apple orchard; the other followed a dream and traveled the world to become a famous photojournalist. But when their beloved father falls ill, Meredith and Nina find themselves together again, standing alongside their cold, disapproving mother, Anya, who even now, offers no comfort to her daughters. As children, the only connection between them was the Russian fairy tale Anya sometimes told the girls at night. On his deathbed, their father extracts a promise from the women in his life: the fairy tale will be told one last time--and all the way to the end. Thus begins an unexpected journey into the truth of Anya's life in war-torn Leningrad, more than five decades ago. Alternating between the past and present, Meredith and Nina will finally hear the singular, harrowing story of their mother's life, and what they learn is a secret so terrible and terrifying that it will shake the very foundation of their family and change who they believe they are.

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This book is excellent. It was recommended by a radio talk show host here in Kansas City, and so I decided to read it. I was drawn into the characters, fascinated by the history, even though it was fiction, it seemed so real.

Probably many of readers won't be agree with me if I say that this book is so boring and in slow motion – that I couldn't finish it. The siege of Leningrad (St. Petersburg now) - lasted 872 days from September 8, 1941 to January 27, 1944 (blockade ring was broken January 18, 1943). In Soviet Union the war was named The Great Patriotic War. It was humanly almost impossible to survive in that city during that period of war. People who survived the siege, were reborn, and became a symbol of resistance, endurance and goodness. That is why the character of Anya (Vera), with its absolute coldness to her own daughters, to me didn't look as realistic. After the blockade - people have become more attentive and caring toward each other. But, I repeat, I didn't finish reading the book, so with 100% accuracy cannot give my opinion about it. By the way, when it is said that Anya cooked soup from wallpaper stripes, it is not exactly how it was done in Leningrad. In besieged Leningrad they made soup to survive, but not out of strips of wallpaper itself, they used adhesive paste, with which the wallpaper was attached to the walls. And the paste was prepared at home by mixing flour and water. That's why was hoped that by boiling strips of wallpaper, paste will decoction, and therefore some of the flour will result in “soup”. The same was with leather belts. Leather was made from animal skin, so there could be some nutrients still in them, in belts. There are so many incredible stories about Leningrad siege! I also didn't really like is description of characteristics of modern American women, in this book too. Almost always, they are described as so independent, so strong! They never need support. They are "closed" within themselves during the difficult periods of life and ask people around them, mostly men, to leave them alone for a time and do not try to help them emotionally. But humans, in the most difficult moments, need support from people who truly worry about them, instead of pushing away closest people in order to demonstrate who knows what.

This is a compelling story that I didn't want to put down. It relates a period in the history of the Second World War of which I knew nothing. The sad thing is, stories just like this one, are being lived out In Syria this very moment. A city under siege and people eating leaf soup and babies starving to death. Why?

The story flashes back between contemporary times and WWII Leningrad. The story set in WWII was the more interesting one to me. Though it's nice when a book ends with everything neatly tied together, I found the ending to be just a tad too coincidental and far fetched. Then again, I also found it quite moving.

I found this book so depressing and not well written at all. It just went on and on. Couldn't figure out why I was so depressed until I stopped reading it and then felt better. No empathy for anyone. A huge waste of time and proud that I didn't finish it. Save your self and do not read. Self indulgent and needy women. If I owned the book I would have burned it!!! I don't write anything usually but want to save someone the agony of the read.